(A) As used in this section, "energy conservation measure" means the construction of, installation or modification of an installation in, or remodeling of, a new or existing building, to reduce energy consumption. It includes:

(1) Insulation of the building structure and of systems within the building;

(2) Storm windows and doors, multiglazed windows and doors, heat-absorbing or heat-reflective glazed and coated window and door systems, additional glazing, reductions in glass area, and other window and door system modifications that reduce energy consumption;

(3) Automatic energy control systems;

(4) Heating, ventilating, or air conditioning system modifications or replacements;

(5) Caulking and weather-stripping;

(6) Replacement or modification of lighting fixtures to increase the energy efficiency of the system without increasing the overall illumination of a facility, unless such an increase in illumination is necessary to conform to the applicable state or local building code for the proposed lighting system;

(7) Energy recovery systems;

(8) Cogeneration systems that produce steam or forms of energy such as heat, as well as electricity, for use primarily within a building or complex of buildings;

(9) Acquiring, constructing, furnishing, equipping, improving the site of, or otherwise improving a central utility plant to provide heating and cooling services to a building together with distribution piping and ancillary distribution controls, equipment, and related facilities from the central utility plant to the building; and

(10) Any other construction, modification, installation, or remodeling approved by a board of library trustees as an energy conservation measure.

(B) For the purpose of evaluating library buildings for energy conservation measures, a board of library trustees appointed pursuant to section 3375.06, 3375.10, 3375.12, 3375.15, 3375.22, or 3375.30 of the Revised Code may contract with an architect, professional engineer, energy services company, contractor, or other person experienced in the design and implementation of energy conservation measures for an energy conservation report. Such a report shall include all of the following:

(1) Analyses of the energy needs of library buildings and recommendations for building installations, modifications of existing installations, or building remodeling that would significantly reduce energy consumption in the buildings;

(2) Estimates of all costs of the recommended installations, modifications, or remodeling, including costs of design, engineering, installation, maintenance, and repair;

(3) Estimates of the amounts by which energy consumption could be reduced;

(4) The interest rate used to estimate the costs of any energy conservation measures that are to be financed by the library;

(5) The average system life of the energy conservation measures;

(6) Estimates of the likely savings that will result from the reduction in energy consumption over the average system life of the energy conservation measures, including the methods used to estimate the savings; and

(7) A certification under the seal of a registered professional engineer that the energy conservation report uses reasonable methods of analysis and estimation.

(C)

(1) A board of library trustees appointed pursuant to section 3375.06, 3375.10, 3375.12, 3375.15, 3375.22, or 3375.30 of the Revised Code desiring to implement energy conservation measures may proceed under any of the following methods:

(a) Procure the energy conservation measures in any manner authorized by existing authority.

(b) Advertise for bids using an energy conservation report or any part of an energy conservation report prepared under division (B) of this section, and, except as otherwise provided in this section, comply with competitive bidding requirements applicable to the board of library trustees.

(c) Notwithstanding any requirement in the Revised Code that requires competitive bidding or specifies bidding procedures, request proposals from at least three vendors for the implementation of energy conservation measures. A request for proposals shall require the vendor that is awarded a contract under division (C)(2)(b) of this section to prepare an energy conservation report in accordance with division (B) of this section.

Prior to sending any vendor a copy of any request for proposals, the board of library trustees shall advertise its intent to request proposals for the installation of energy conservation measures in a newspaper of general circulation within the territorial boundaries of the political subdivision or district over which it has jurisdiction of free public library services once a week for two consecutive weeks. The notice shall state that the board of trustees intends to request proposals for the installation of energy conservation measures, indicate the date on which the request for proposals will be mailed to vendors, which shall be at least ten days after the second publication in the newspaper, and state that any vendor interested in receiving the request for proposals shall submit written notice to the board of library trustees not later than noon of the day on which the request for proposals is to be mailed.

(2)

(a) Upon receiving bids under division (C)(1)(b) of this section, the board of library trustees shall analyze them and select the lowest and best bid or bids most likely to result in the greatest energy savings considering the cost of the project and the board of library trustees' ability to pay for the improvements with current revenues or by financing the improvements.

(b) Upon receiving proposals under division (C)(1)(c) of this section, the board of library trustees shall analyze the proposals and the vendors' qualifications and select the most qualified vendor to prepare an energy conservation report in accordance with division (B) of this section. After receipt and review of the energy conservation report, the board of library trustees may award a contract to the selected vendor to install the energy conservation measures that are most likely to result in the greatest energy savings considering the cost of the project and the board of library trustees' ability to pay for the improvements with current revenues or by financing the improvements.

(c) The awarding of a contract to install energy conservation measures under division (C)(2)(a) or (b) of this section shall be conditioned upon a finding by the board of library trustees that the amount of money spent on energy conservation measures is not likely to exceed the amount of money the library would save in energy, operating, maintenance, and avoided capital costs over the average system life of the energy conservation measures as specified in the energy conservation report. In making such a finding, the board of trustees may take into account the increased costs due to inflation as shown in the energy conservation report. Nothing in this division prohibits a board of library trustees from rejecting all bids or proposals under division (C)(1)(b) or (c) of this section or from selecting more than one bid or proposal.

(D) A board of library trustees appointed pursuant to section 3375.06, 3375.10, 3375.12, 3375.15, 3375.22, or 3375.30 of the Revised Code may contract for the purchase and installation of energy conservation measures as provided in division (C) of section 3375.40 of the Revised Code.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.127, HB 487, §101.01, eff. 9/10/2012.